The blogger lunch was a blast. It was so fun to hang out with around forty other bloggers, many of whom I've read. You should have heard the collective Wheel of Forune-esque oohs and aahs when Jonathon said his blog was The Phaith of St.Phransus. He is the beloved blogger, you know. I received no oohs and aahs... but if you're reading my blog for the first time because of EC, welcome!My haircut went well (read the blog before this) and I talked to Angie (my hair stylist) about the conference. She is one of the only non-Christians I know. How pathetic is that? How many of you that read this can identify? We need to know more people who are not inside the church. We need to be in conversation with them about this whole "emerging" thing if we ever want to emerge. I felt very challenged by Dan's seminar yesterday about people loving Christ and loathing the church. In fact, Dan mentioned his stylist (a non-Christian and lesbian, I believe) and how he had great conversations with her. So, I thought I'd talk to Angie about this thing we're doing at the Nashville Convention Center.
I need to ask Angie why she left the church and why she decided to be wicken and what that means. I will next time. Hold me to that, will you? I love Angie and I love talking to her. This was one of the few religion themed conversations we've ever had (and the first time we've ever not talked about movies, which is weird because Episode 3 just came out).
We talked about Dan's seminar and how so many non-Christians love Jesus--view him as God even--but hate Christians and the church. We talked about how she really hates most of the Christians she knows. I told her I probably would too. I wish she could meet some of the folks at the convention. At least my peeps--my crew--my dawg pound (okay, enough of that). Of course, there are a lot of people at the convention I would never want her to meet because they have the same narrow minded mindset of the ones she already hates.
Angie told me that, on occasion, she gets together with other people for coffee or beer or whatever to talk religion. The people she gets together with are Druids, Wickens, Baptists, Catholics, whatevers... I told her to count me in next time. I so want in on that. Sounds like they need a Methodist anyway.
After I left the salon I drove back downtown and decided to stop by the tent sale at Cokesbury. Today was 35% off day so I was just scoping the place out. Tomorrow the fun begins. Then the thunderstorm came with a vengeance. The circus tent was shaking so much that we thought it might collapse... so we evacuated and I headed back to the convention center.
On my way back downstairs I could have sworn I heard Christy Nockel's beautiful voice. I was right and I went in to the National Pastor's Convention to worship with Watermark. I love Watermark. I was happy.Daphne got there and we went downstairs to put the freebies on the chairs for EC. We then went to Jack's BBQ with a bunch of our new friends (most of whom blog) including: Andrew Seely, Aaron Klinefelter, Larry Bourgeois (send me your blog address)Lilly Lewin and her family.
Then Phyllis Tickled us again... I mean Phyllis Tickle blessed us again. She is so cool that a new word needs to be invented. She was compared to Yoda. I think that is incredibly accurate.
Daphne and I went to the IKON service at Downtown Pres for a little while and enjoyed it, but wanted so desperately to be in the Steve Taylor preview of his new movie "The Second Chance". I did not know that preview, in this particular case, would mean pre-view. Yes, I have seen the movie and I will blog on that in a separate post.Anyway, I thought it was just a small thing and it ended up being the entire film. I got so caught up in it that the time escaped me and I never ended up helping out at McKendree after the worship. I was supposed to help take all of the sound equipment and screens from McKendree to Downtown Pres and I feel really bad about not being there to help.
Steve Taylor is one of my only living absolute die-hard, bonafide heroes. So to see his movie and get to talk with him afterwards was a wonderful opportunity I didn't want to miss. If you don't know who Steve is you need to find out. I say that not to say you're a big ole dummy for not knowing him but to say that you'd be doing yourself a favor. Unfortunately a bunch of his albums are out of print (idiots... the CCM music industry... idiots). So download what you can. He said this once, so I can say it too.Steve was in an excellent band called Chagall Guevera (out of print... flippin' idiots!). They made it big for a half a minute and then they broke up. They landed a track on the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack.
Steve left his music career behind to pursue a film career. He has directed some excellent videos by Christian artists (there was a time when pretty much the only good videos in CCM were directed by Steve). He has been the other Newsboy for a long time now. Since the album Not Ashamed, Steve has written lyrics for much of the Newsboys catalog. And he has produced some great records including Sixpence None the Richer's self-titled breakthrough.
A good place to learn more about Steve is here. There is also an absolutely hysterical documentary/mockumentary of Steve on the See Spot Rock DVD.
Oh and there was a Steve Taylor tribute album a few years ago with artists like Sixpence and Fleming & John.
Anyway, all of the video experiences (and film school) have led him to pursue film full time. Read the next post.
